Lt. Gov. Newsom Sworn-In, Vows To Focus On Economy
SACRAMENTO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ― Gavin Newsom pledged to bring more of California's entrepreneurial spirit to the state Capitol as he was sworn in Monday as California's 49th lieutenant governor.
Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor, pledged to work with Gov. Jerry Brown in restoring government.
The Democrat was sworn into office by his father inside the state Senate chamber. William Newsom is a retired associate justice of the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco.
Newsom, founder of the Plumpjack restaurant group, said in his inauguration speech that he would focus on helping businesses and creating jobs despite his limited role as California's second-in-command to Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.
The lieutenant governor fills in when the governor travels out of state or is incapacitated. Newsom also will serve on the governing boards of the state's public universities and commissions dealing with economic development and conservation.
Newsom, 43, a Democrat, served seven years as mayor of San Francisco. He is known for implementing the Care Not Cash program on homelessness and allowing same-sex marriages in the city during a brief period in 2004.
A political moderate, Newsom was sometimes criticized by progressives for his ties to the city's business community and developers.
Newsom delayed his swearing-in as lieutenant governor by one week in order to ensure that the prior, progressive-dominated San Francisco Board of Supervisors did not appoint an interim mayor with a far-left political agenda.
After much political jockeying, City Administrator Ed Lee, whom Newsom approved of, was selected by the board on Friday. Four new board members were sworn in Saturday, and the board was expected to approve Lee's yearlong interim term on Tuesday.
In a surprise move on Sunday, Newsom appointed San Francisco Police Chief George Gascon to be the city's new district attorney to replace Kamala Harris, who is now attorney general of California.
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